Bonds of a Soldier
by Tempestas D. Uzu
Summary: Prompts/one-shots that relate to my Soldier Series. 20)Being Fu: Fu liked cute clothes, he liked to wear dresses and skirts, he liked the freedom of movement they gave him. There was nothing wrong with that.
1. Hunted Soldier

**Title: Hunted Soldier  
**

**Description: After thirty years of inactivity, Harry Potter's magical signature came back online, and Ginny knew she had to track him down and rescue her Harry from whoever took him from her, because she had Harry were in love; they were star-crossed lovers, they were destined to be together.**

**Word Count: 979  
**

**Warnings: Ginny!bashing, unhinged!crazy!obsessed!Ginny, select!Weasley!bashing, Dumbledore!bashing  
**

* * *

Ginny Weasley was not as sane as people liked to believe, to be completely honest she had always been teetering on the thin line between sanity and insanity, and being possessed by Voldemort's soul shard for an entire year at eleven had really not helped any.

As a child, she had grown up hearing stories of Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, at five she had declared for her entire family to hear _that she was going to marry Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived_. Her mother encouraged this dream to the point it became a dangerous obsession. Her father was a meek fool who would never speak out against his wife, and her older brothers thought it was an adorable little childish crush that she would eventually outgrow.

When Harry Potter saved her life, she saw it as a confession of love. But of course, she couldn't risk any floozies getting their claws on her Harry, so after talking with her mother, Professor Dumbledore, and Ron, they agreed that _yes, Ginny would marry Harry Potter_. And so her mother and Professor Dumbledore began brewing doses of potent Love Potions keyed towards Ginny, and she and Ron had the job of keeping any girls or even boys, away from her Harry.

But, eventually Harry worked up an immunity to the Love Potions they were giving him, and Ginny was horrified to find her own older brother kissing _her _Harry after the Quidditch World Cup. She ran to her mother and Professor Dumbledore, who immediately went about removing any and all memories Fred had of his attractions to her Harry, and vise versa. And everything went back to normal, they began to use a different, much stronger Love Potion, in which she and Ron made sure to administer to Harry's evening meals. She had even helped Ronald potion the Granger bitch when he showed his lust for the older witch; if only to keep the Mudblood from getting her hands on _her _Harry.

After her Harry defeated You-Know-Who, Ginny had expected him to propose. She waited and waited, and all she got was a blank look in return, and then her Harry told her that _he didn't like her that way that he was gay and had no time for love right now_. And Ginny snapped; someone was stealing away _her _Harry, someone had convinced him that he was homosexual.

Someone had to pay.

So someone did; she convinced the scared citizens of Magical Britain that Teddy Lupin was a werewolf, that he would become more of a monster than Fenrir Greyback because he was born of a werewolf father. She didn't care that it was a lie and that resulted in the death of a baby and her own brother. Because Harry was hers, and Harry would get over the death of his godson because she would give him better children that weren't monsters.

But for some reason, Harry didn't see it that way, because right before she expected him to propose, he vanished.

And now, thirty years later, at the age of forty-seven, Ginny Weasley had been divorced three times and had been the subject of several scandals and affairs.

Her first marriage was to Dean Thomas, a fling she had had in Hogwarts; they had been married all of three years, and a single daughter, Nina Thomas, had come from their "love". However, Dean had divorced her the moment he discovered that she had actually been sleeping with another for the whole duration of their marriage, to add insult to injury she had been sleeping with his former best friend Seamus Finnegan.

The next to fall into her web was the very same man she had been having an affair with during her first marriage. Seamus lasted a little longer than Dean, they had been married five years and she had birthed two sons, twins by the names of Griffin and Samuel, only to be divorced after she gave birth to Draco Malfoy's child; a daughter the blond had immediately removed from her care and named Narcissa Astoria Malfoy.

Her final and most recent catch, was Anthony Goldstein. Married for ten years, three children, Lilith, Mark, and Tanya, and then divorced when he realized the third wasn't even his, but his old Housemate, Terry Boot.

And she wasn't even able to see her children, from any of her affairs or marriages. Not that she minded really, they were all ways to pass the time until Harry returned for her.

None of them could measure up to _her_ Harry.

And after thirty years of inactivity, Harry Potter's magical signature came back online, and Ginny knew she had to track him down and rescue her Harry from whoever took him from her, because she had Harry were in love; they were star-crossed lovers, they were destined to be together.

* * *

_**Well, there you have it. This was inspired by those asking for a look at Ginny and why she would chase Harry/Skull for thirty years without giving up!  
**_

_**I'm taking promts for those who want to see something happen. I can't give a scheduled for those who do give me promts, because I write as I come up with things, so if I'm drawing a blank I'm not really able to write anything.**_

_**Hope you liked it!**_

_**Reviews are love!**_

_**~TDU**_


	2. Oodako's Human

**Title: Oodako's Human**

**Word Count: 279**

**Description: Oodako's human was frightened, ****always looking over his shoulder as if he expected a larger predator-human to attack him. Oodako knew his human was strong, but he feared unleashing his power, like if he did so, the predator-humans would track him down.**

**Warnings: very short, Oodako's point of view, mentions of Reborn/Skull/Fon, Skull-is-Harry**

* * *

Oodako didn't know what to make of Lichi's human; sure he was brave, and loyal, and strong, but Oodako didn't understand the human.

He didn't understand many humans to be honest.

But he understood _his_ human.

His human, despite how he acted, was very frightened. He was always looking over his shoulder, as if he expected a larger predator-human to attack him. Oodako knew his human was strong, but he feared unleashing his power, like if he did so, the predator-humans would track him down.

But Oodako's human was comfortable around Lichi's human; were they mates perhaps? He could trust Lichi's human to look after his, Lichi's human was powerful after all. So was Leon's human, though... Maybe if Oodako's human took them both as mates, he would be safer from the larger predator-humans who were chasing him.

Oodaku's human seemed to have imprinted on Falco's human as a littermate, and his human liked Kaiman's human and Fantasma's human enough to see them as pack, and Cosmo's human was like a birth-giver to his human before she passed. But Oodako's human was different to Lichi's human and Leon's human.

Leon's human wanted Oodako's human to be strong, so he was hard on him to train Oodako's human to be stronger, faster, so that Oodaku's human didn't fall in battle. Lichi's human, on the other hand, also wanted Oodaku's human to be strong, but he also wanted Oodako's human to be safe.

Leon's human was the Alpha, Lichi's human was the Beta, one was firm, the other supportive.

They were the perfect mates for Oodako's human.

Now if only his stubborn human could see that as well as Oodako could.

* * *

_**This was inspired by people who asked for Oodako, and the request for Reborn/Skull/Fon.  
**_

_**Lichi's human = Fon**_

_**Leon's human = Reborn**_

_**Kaiman's human = Verde**_

_**Falco's human = Colonello**_

_**Fanasma's human = Viper**_

_**Cosmo's human = Luche**_

_**Oodako's human = Skull**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this very short little prompt-shot!**_

_**~TDU**_


	3. Infiltration

**Title: Infiltration**

**Word Count: 820**

**Description: Standing in front of them, was a teenaged girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and big blue eyes, wearing a violet sweater and a pleated white skirt. And her face looked suspiciously like- "Skull?"**

**Warnings: crossdressing, cuteness overload, hints of Fon/Skull / Reborn/Skull / Colonello/Skull, Harry-is-Skull**

* * *

Skull was biting his lip, eyes narrowed as he studied the folder in his hands.

"What are you looking at Skull?" Fon asked as he walked past the younger man, Skull didn't look up as he past him, only flipped the page.

"I'm short on cash," Skull muttered, "I'm taking a job."

"Oh?" The martial artist prompted while he poured a cup of tea. "What kind of job?"

"Infiltration and recon." The violet-haired stuntman explained, "They want me to collect information from a big business tycoon who has connections to the underworld."

Fon placed a cup of sweet smelling tea beside the Cloud Arcobaleno, "Sounds easy enough."

Skull hummed in thanks as he lifted the tea to his mouth and took a distracted sip. "It does... Ho?" He paused, eyes locking onto a small paragraph of information, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I just found my opening."

Fon looked at the expression on the younger's face, "You've been spending too much time with Reborn, he seems to have corrupted you."

* * *

"What kind of job did he say it was?" Reborn asked, lounging gracefully on the couch as he peered at Fon questioningly.

"He claimed it was an infiltration and reconnaissance mission." Fon explained, "And he looked much too excited about something."

Colonello raised an eyebrow, "So you're nervous -kora?"

Before the Storm could reply, someone else spoke up. "All done!"

Heads turned towards the voice, and they froze.

Standing in front of them, was a teenaged girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and big blue eyes, wearing a violet sweater and a pleated white skirt. And her face looked suspiciously like-

"_Skull?_" Fon exclaimed in shock, as Colonello choked on his sports drink and Reborn stilled.

"F-Fon!" The now identified Skull squawked in surprise, face turning bright red as he blushed.

"You look like a girl!" Colonello spluttered, still trying to dislodge the drink from his throat.

And he did; they had always known Skull was a feminine looking boy, but the makeup he always wore hid that. Now with his makeup washed off and wearing a wig and colored contacts, a faint sheen of lip gloss on full lips and a small amount of shimmering eye shadow framing his now-blue eyes, Skull truly looked like an adorable teenaged girl.

And he looked completely confused at their expressions of horror.

"'Course I do," Skull scoffed, "It's part of the mission."

It would seem that he had no idea why they were so horrified that he was dressed like a girl. Skull was a feminine boy, sure, but downright adorable as a girl.

Anyone could see it. Not all of them could have good intentions.

Fon felt a faint stirring in his gut at the thought of perverts who would take advantage of his friend (yes- Skull was his friend, no matter how many times Colonello teased him about the _kiss_ -Fon very nearly blushed at the thought) because of his looks, and for the first time was thankful of the gaudy makeup Skull always wore.

(Unbeknownst to him, both Colonello and Reborn were having the same thoughts - a cross dressing Skull was too precious to let out into the world.)

"You're not going." Reborn stated flatly.

Skull spluttered, "Wha- _Why_?"

"You're not going," Reborn repeated firmly, "Especially when dressed like that."

Skull shrunk in on himself, "Does it look that bad, senpai?" He peered up at him from under blonde bangs with big, sad blue eyes, and the three older man felt a feeling akin to kicking a puppy.

"I-it's not that!" Colonello spluttered quickly, "You look great! Like really, really great! But you look too great!"

Skull's bottom lip pursed slightly, brows furrowing in confusion as he tilted his head to the side.

_Fuuuck! _Colonello slapped a hand over his face to hide his furious blush, cringing away from the smaller Arcobaleno.

The other two weren't doing much better; Fon had looked away, face dusted with red as he lifted his arm to hide his face with his long sleeve, and Reborn coughed lightly in an attempt to hide his faintly colored cheeks.

And all the while, Skull continued to look like some sort of lost puppy.

"B-but it's for the mission!" The stuntman wailed, a full blown pout on his lips, before his eyes narrowed shrewdly. "What if I took someone with me? Would you let me go?"

Fon seemed to think about it, before nodded slowly.

Skull beamed, skipping over to Colonello and latched onto his arm, "C'mon, Onii-san." He was nearly sparkling as he smiled up at the larger blond.

It took a full three seconds of staring on Colonello's part, before the gunner's head was forced back from the force of his nosebleed.

_Way too cute for his own good._

* * *

_***Presents upon you my next masterpiece* Tadahh~ New prompt-shot! + an adorable cross-dressing Skull!**_

_**Oh, and Colonello becomes the victim of a cuteness-overload-induced-nosebleed.**_

_**I actually slapped this together while I should have been working in English class, but what can you do? If I hadn't jotted it down, I would have forgotten everything within the next five minutes.**_

_**How'd you like it?  
**_

_**Prompt came from the idea of people asking me to make Skull a skilled infiltrator, and those who requested Skull changing his hair color and/or taking off his make up!**_

_**Enjoy my pretties,**_

_**TDU**_


	4. Bonds (Part 1)

**Title: Bonds (Part 1)  
**

**Word Count: 1,010**

**Description: ****"The strong bond of friendship is not always a balanced equation; friendship is not always about giving and taking in equal shares. Instead, friendship is grounded in a feeling that you know exactly who will be there for you when you need something, no matter what or when."**

**Warnings: mentions of character death, death/killing, nightmares, Skull-is-Harry  
**

* * *

_"The strong bond of friendship is not always a balanced equation; friendship is not always about giving and taking in equal shares. Instead, friendship is grounded in a feeling that you know exactly who will be there for you when you need something, no matter what or when."_

_~Simon Sinek_

* * *

**Luche**

_A little boy, no older than two, with sandy curls and big amber eyes appeared before him, "You let me die," the child accused, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, "You let my parents die, then you turned your back on me when I needed you. You left me to die."_

_A harsh gasp ripped itself from his lungs, "Teddy..."_

_"They said I was a monster," The child continued, almost cheerfully as a puddle of blood spread underneath him, "Do__you think I'm a monster, Uncle? Is that why you left me to die?"_

_"No, no, Teddy, no. I wouldn't!"_

_A gruesome smile twisted the little boy's face, highlighted by the blood dripping from his eyes like tears. "But you still let me die, Uncle. You let us all die."_

_A crowd of ghostly images swam before his eyes, whispering, taunting, begging to know why he let them die._

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_A blinding beam of green streaked__towards him, closer..._

_Closer..._

_He couldn't move, it wouldn't let him! _

_The little boy smiled._

_And-_

"NO!" Skull bolted upright, hand clutching the fabric of his pajamas over his heart, eyes wild with panic and fear. _OhgodohgodohgodTeddy-_

A small hand settled in the young man's hair, stroking the wild violet locks away from his overly pale face. "Hush now, young one... It's alright, I'm here..." A gentle voice whispered in his ear, pulling the distressed teenager into a hug. "Everything will be fine..."

Skull quivered, latching onto the woman in a desperate hug, shoulders heaving with violent sobs as he buried his face into her shoulder.

"It's alright, Skull. I'm here, you're not alone." Luche told the child that had latched onto her for comfort, her maternal instincts on overdrive. "You'll never be alone again."

* * *

**Colonello**

Skull couldn't believe Colonello had managed to drag him into this, he really couldn't. Why he had agreed to join his fellow cursed infant on a mission, he would never understand.

"Here," The blond infant muttered, tossing the purple-haired stuntman a small handgun. "You're going to need a weapon -kora."

Skull fumbled with the gun, eyes wide under his helmet. He'd never used a gun before! Hell, he didn't even know _how_ to use one! "U-um... C-Colonello-?"

"Shh!" Colonello hushed him, "They're coming."

What happened next was nothing short a massacre; Skull, in all his noob-ish glory, could only stand back and watch as the Rain Arcobaleno single-handedly decimated the enemy wannabe-mafia forces.

However, the blond never noticed a single Mist-user coming up from his blind spot.

**_BANG!_**

Colonello spun around in surprise when the enemy Mist dropped to the ground, dead, a single bullet hole in the side of his head. His blue eyes moved from the dead man, to Skull's shaking form, and realization hit him like a freight train; Skull had never shot a man before, he had given a gun to someone who didn't even now how to use one.

Skull's hands shook violently around the gun in his hand, and slightly hysterical laugh bubbling in his throat_-oh god, he had just killed someone. He had killed a human being-_

"-ull! Skull!" Colonello gently took the small Archobaleno's hands, gingerly peeling the weapon out of his trembling hands. He tossed the gun to the side before tugging Skull's helmet off his head, allowing the blond to look into the wild violet eyes. "I'm sorry -kora. I had no idea you didn't know how to use a gun."

"I-I_killed_ him," The Cloud babbled, "I just killed that man. I just shot him in the head. I-I'm sorry, h-he was in your blind spot, and-and-and-"

Colonello interrupted Skull's frantic tirade by patting him on the cheek to get his attention. "It's okay, -kora. It's partially my fault, too. I was the one who gave you the gun -kora."

"D-Does it get easier?" Skull murmured, knotting his small hands in Colonello's military jacket.

The blond didn't hesitate, "No. No it doesn't -kora. But as time goes by you get use to it, but it never gets easier -kora."

"R-Right..."

Colonello huffed, tugging Skull's hand from his jacket, but he didn't release his comrade's limb from his grip. "Come on, -kora. Let's get you home."

* * *

**Viper**

Viper's eye twitched violently under his hood as he felt Skull's eyes boring into his back (which he had been doing for the past _hour_).

"What do you want?" The Mist Arcobaleno finally snapped, slamming his hands down on the table and spinning around to pin the Cloud with a harsh glare.

Skull flinched backwards for a moment, before peering at the cloaked infant. "Oya... You're a wizard, right Viper?"

Viper paused in his irritation, eyes narrowing suspiciously before his magic teased outwards, brushing against Skull's aura before drawing back. "So are you," He noted, the flinch was a lot more noticeable this time. "A very powerful one too."

"Shuush!" Skull waved his hands violently in an attempt to quiet the other Arcobaleno. "Don't say it out loud!" He drew back after a moment, fiddling with his fingers as he struggled to get out what he wanted to say. "T-the thing is, I, the great Skull-sama, cannot step foot into the Magical World, for I shall be mobbed by violent fangirls!" Viper could pick up an underlining of truth to the stuntman's words, and his eyes narrowed once more. "I-I just wanted to ask you something..."

He hesitated, and Viper scowled, "Get on with it!"

"Canyoubuymesometreacletarts?"

Viper raised an eyebrow under his hood, "Slower, moron."

Skull took a deep breath, "Treacle tarts. I was wondering if you could get me some treacle tarts."

Silence...

"What will I get in return?"

"The knowledge you made me very happy?"

"That's not enough. I want more."

* * *

_**I split this up in two parts (I'm working on the second), because I figured I might as well post it before I ran dry and let you crazy-fan-people enjoy it. So here you go you crazies, love you all. **_

_**This was brought to live by the request to see Skull forming bonds with the other Arcobaleno before he sacrificed himself for them (see Toy Soldier), and the one who asked for treacle tarts. Mix it all together, and BOOM! you get this.**_

_**Hope you enjoy it!**_

_**~TDU**_


	5. A Future That Could Have Been

**Title: A Future That Could Have Been  
**

**Word Count: 1,110**

**Description: It would seem her Arcobaleno had finally realized just how much their Cloud meant to them. All it took was a future that could have been.**

**Warnings: character death, fluffy cuddles, slight Skull/Fon, hints of All/Skull if you really want, Skull-is-Harry**

* * *

_The large ball of Sky Flames was heading right for them, seven pairs of eyes stared, horrified and unable to move. Then suddenly -_

_"MOVE!"_

_They were flying backwards, they could feel the warmth of Cloud Flames and something else wrapping around them protectively, shielding them from the blast._

_But it never came._

_The small figure in the clearing pulsed his Flames, they saturated the air in layers of protectiveness as it broke the Sky Flames apart._

_"Ho? What's this? Where have the other Arcobaleno gone?"_

_"__**What are you doing, Lackey?**__" _Idiot-what are you doing-I won't let this happen!

_Their Cloud straightened, Flames rolling off him with a strength that none of them had even felt before. "I won't let you."_

_"You... won't let me?"_

_"__**Skull!**__" Kicking fruitlessly on the shield, banging with all his might in an attempt to just get to him__"__**Damnit -kora! Let us out!**__" _Please, please, please-just let us out, we'll help you-don't do this...

_"So you've somehow managed to hide them from us, have you? It won't work for long if you're dead." Flames licked at the man's skin, burning, burning orange._

_"__**Get away, Skull!**__" _Please, please just run-I don't know what I would do if you died...

_"Didn't you hear?" He was mocking him, but there was also an underlining thread of fear in his voice.__"Death hates me. I doubt he'll want to keep me around for long."_

_Then he struck._

**_"SKULL!"_**

_The small figure was engulfed in flames. And-_ ohgodohgod-_ for the longest moment of their life, they felt helpless grief._

_Then the Flames disbursed._

_And their Cloud remained standing tall._

_For all of a moment, they believed that he was fine, but when he turned to them, violet eyes glazed and clouded, fractures appearing across pale skin, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he smiled painfully, and-_

_"I'm sorry..."_

_He shattered-_

And six pairs of eyes snapped open.

* * *

Fon's eyes snapped open as he smothered a scream in his pillow, silent tears dripping down his cheeks. _Ó, shàngdì_\- what had that been? Some sort of nightmare?

No, it was too realistic to be a nightmare...

The Storm pulled himself from his bed, out of his room, and trotted silently across the hall. He opened the door, silently slipping through into the room beyond.

Skull was curled up, fast asleep, under his fluffy violet blankets, breathing and perfectly alive.

Violet eyes fluttered open sleepily when his bed dipped, signifying someone joining him, and Skull rolled over to see Fon making himself comfortable under his comforter. "Fon...?"

Fon smiled apologetically, but made no move of getting out, and after a moment Skull huffed and rolled back over, preparing himself to go back to sleep with Fon pressed against him.

The martial artist snaked his arms around the slighter male, tugging him closer and all but curling up around him. Skull stiffened for all of a heartbeat, before relaxing back into sleep.

* * *

Colonello flung himself from his bed with a choked gasp, tears swimming in his vision as his tore himself from his nightmare.

Or was it a nightmare?

"Oh god," He whispered into his empty room, rubbing his face in an attempt to calm himself.

But he couldn't.

He needed to see Skull, to assure himself that yes, his little brother in all but blood was still breathing.

The blond bumped into Lal outside his room, her own eyes looking slightly puffy, and they two shuffled down the hall to their resident Cloud's room.

When Colonello quietly pushed the door open, they found that Fon had beat them to it. The Storm was curled protectively around the small Arcobaleno, hugging him to his chest as he slept soundly.

Violet eyes blinked open once more as the two gunners joined him and Fon on the bed, making themselves comfortable at the base before falling right to sleep.

Skull grumbled sleepily about _bloody buggers not letting him get more sleep_, before cuddling closer to Fon's warmth and allowing himself to sleep once more.

* * *

Skull was woken once again when _Reborn_, of all people, made himself comfortable on his side that Fon wasn't occupying. Dark eyes peered at him silently, before a long fingered hand brushed messy bangs away from his face in an almost gentle manner.

"Go back to sleep, Lackey." Reborn ordered, pillowing his head on his arm.

Skull did just that, however, as he allowed sleep to claimed him, he heard Reborn whisper quietly into the darkness.

"_Non mi ha mai spaventare così, idiota..._"

* * *

At some point during the night, Viper and Verde made their way into the Cloud's bedroom to see Skull's bed full; Colonello and Lal curled up together at the base, Fon hugging a sleeping Skull close to him, and Reborn, who's black eyes had snapped open the moment the Lightning and Mist had entered the room, laying on Skull's other side in an almost protective way.

Both made themselves beds on two of the many couches and armchairs scattered through out the room.

* * *

When Yuni arrived at the Arcobaleno Manor first thing in the morning after having such a terrible dream of what she absolutely knew had happened once upon a time in a future that could have been and had been, she had not expected the manor to be silent.

The young girl made her way through the empty, quiet halls, and towards the Arcobalenos' bedrooms, checking each as she went.

All were empty. All but one, anyway.

She had pushed the door to Skull's room open to find a sight she had never thought she would ever come upon; all of her former Arcobaleno were scattered about the Cloud's room. Verde's long body was stretched across one of the many couches, Viper was curled up much like a cat on a plush armchair, Colonello and Lal were sleeping together at the base of Skulls bed, while Skull, himself, and Fon were nestled closely together, the Storm's face burrowed in soft violet curls, and the Cloud had curled up against the martial artist's chest, face pressed into the silky red fabric of Fon's pajamas.

Only Reborn was awake, seated on a comfortable violet armchair, flipping his way through one of Skull's many books. He had looked up as she peeked in, nodded in greeting, before going back to his reading.

Yuni drew back with a quiet giggle, closing the door silently before making her way back down the hall.

It would seem her Arcobaleno had finally realized just how much their Cloud meant to them.

All it took was a future that could have been.

* * *

_**Yay! Three posted in the same day! Banzai! (To be perfectly honest I had already been half-way finished with Bonds1)**_

_**This story came and slapped me in the face while at the dentist, and I knew I had something good for all you crazies who asked for the Arcobaleno reacting to Skull's death in the future. And Yuni's there too!  
**_

_**Hope you enjoy, and keep review, they seriously make my day, no joke.**_

_**~TDU**_


	6. Bonds (Part 2)

**Title: Bonds (Part 2)**

**Word Count: 1,030**

**Description: ****_"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand."_**

**Warnings: Skull-is-Harry, adorable!Skull, flirty!Fon, Skull/Fon, hints of Reborn/Skull, my attempt at making a funny**

* * *

_"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand." - Henri Nouwen_

* * *

**Reborn**

A furious yell escaped the newly turned infant as he threw a vase against the wall and watched it shatter. _Maledizione! (Italian: God Damn It!)_ He had been turned into a fucking baby! Everything he had worked towards in his life, _gone_!

"S-Senpai...?" A small voice squeaked behind him, Reborn spun around, dark eyes flashing furiously at the interruption (aka, the tiny purple-haired infant peering through the door). Skull flinched backwards at the glare, but after a moment, the Cloud worked up enough courage to squeeze into the room.

After a short staring match, shoulders squared, eyes sharpened, and little hands clenched into fists. "That's enough, Reborn." Skull stated firmly, "Destroying things, yelling; they won't make you feel any better."

Reborn's eyes narrowed; how would _Skull_ know? He was overconfident, loud, he was always rolling with the punches...

"-so stop it. It's not going to change anything."

Anger was clouding Reborn's thoughts; if he had been calm, he wouldn't have reacted to those words. Skull barely had enough time to blink before Reborn plowed into him, lacking any of his normal grace, fist reeled back before delivering an unforgiving punch to the smaller Arcobaleno's cheek.

After a couple more punches, Reborn finally realized that the smaller body under him wasn't fighting back like usual, instead Skull was completely still, violet eyes staring into dark orbs, a simple message conveying between them.

_I forgive you. Let it all out__._

So Reborn did; he let it all out.

All the frustration, the fear, the anger; Reborn did something he had never done before; he let it go.

Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, shoulders shook with silent sobs, and Skull reached forward; wrapping slim arms around the Hitman's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug as his own tears overflowed.

* * *

**Verde**

…

…

…

_HOW?!_

Verde stared at the chessboard then at the bemused infant across from him, and back to the chessboard.

_Seriously, how?!_

Verde had an IQ of 200, genius intellect, and amazing skills of perception. And yet...

He had lost.

At chess.

To _Skull_.

Skull, who was rubbing the back of his neck, and laughing nervously.

It shouldn't be possible.

"You- you- what- that- won?- lost?"

It did not compute.

"U-um... Verde?... _Verde?_... OH MY GOD! I BROKE VERDE!"

* * *

**Lal**

Skull shifted nervously under Lal's piercing stare.

"Colonello tells me you don't know how to shoot." The gunner said bluntly, watching as Skull flinched guiltily.

Skull yelped, fumbling to catch the gun Lal had just _tossed_ to him, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu (like student, like teacher, it would seem.)

"In that case, I'm going to teach you." Lal stated, hands on her hips. "Otherwise you're going to get yourself, or someone else, killed."

Skull blinked in surprise, looking between the gun in his hands, and the female Arcobaleno across from him. "E-eh?" He squeaked, big violet eyes blinking in confusion.

"Did you not hear me?" Lal growled, looming over the Cloud Arcobaleno, a dark aura radiating around her, and Skull shrunk in on himself, feeling so very small. The sound of a rifle being loaded met his ears, "Get running, brat."

With a shriek, Skull turned and fled, "_Hieee! _I thought you said you would teach me how to use a gun!" The purple-haired stuntman wailed, running for his life.

Lal cackled as she gave chase, "I am!"

\- (Elsewhere)

Colonello laughed brightly as he watched his former mentor chase the weakest Arcobaleno through the clearing outside of the Arcobaleno Mansion, guns blazing, and throwing explosives.

Fon sweatdropped, "I thought she was supposed to be teaching him how to shoot..."

"She is -kora!" Colonello laughed, "She's actually going easy on him!"

Fon glanced to where Skull had managed to dodge an explosion only a little crispy, "_Easy_?" He echoed incredulously.

"Of course!" The blond nodded, "On my first day she ran me over -kora!"

"That..."

"With a _tank_!"

* * *

**Fon**

"_So I put my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away! Nodding my head like yeah~! Moving my hips like yeah~!_" Skull sang along, moving deftly through the kitchen, stirring spoon in hand as he mixed the pancake batter. He shimmied a little to the beat, "_I got my hands up, they're playing my song, and now I'm gonna be okay! Yeah~ it's a party in the USA!~_"

"Impressive,"

Skull squawked, face turning red as he spun around to face an amused Fon, who was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his bare chest and- _ohmyglob/those muscles/thosegloriousabs/tattoo/havingabsthatamazingshouldbeillegal _-brown eyes sparkling with delight and something else that Skull couldn't really place, but it made Skull want to melt on the spot.

Was it hot in here or was it just him?

The charming smile, coupled by the faint sheen of sweat clinging to his sculptured muscles, made Skull's blush increase. "I was in the dojo when I smelt something _delectable__._" The Asian man purred, "Are you making breakfast?" He then asked innocently; like he hadn't just reduced the other to a puddle of goo.

Skull nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Maybe I should lend you my help." Fon moved forward gracefully, wrapping one arm around Skull's thin waist and resting his chin on the younger man's shoulder.

He definitely did not expect Skull to bob him lightly on the nose with the stirring spoon.

Fon blinked in surprise, going slightly cross-eyed to look at the smear of pancake batter on his nose, which gave Skull the chance to squirm out of the martial artist's arms.

Skull's face was _burning_ as he retreated out of Fon's grasp, "Shower first!" He exclaimed, "And_ put a shirt on_!" The stuntman added in a squeak.

Fon laughed, bright and warm, then he wiped the batter from his nose with his finger, and very slowly lifted it to his mouth, eyes locked on Skull's, before a pink tongue lapped the creamy batter from the digit.

Then he turned and left, and Skull's legs very nearly gave out from under him.

"Holy crap. _Holy crap_." He laughed hysterically.

It was official.

He was gay for Fon.

(But with those muscles, who _wouldn't_ be?)

* * *

_**Tahdahh! Part 2 of Bonds! **_

_**I tried to make some funnies to satisfy my murderous followers who probably aren't too happy with my cliffhanger... ha ha ha *shudders and makes sure I locked all my doors/windows/vents/mouse holes*.**_

_**I personally imagine Fon **_**knows**_** that he's a totally sexy beast (I mean, **_**those abs though..._) and really enjoys using the fact to fluster people (especially Skull, who can be too adorable for his own good)._  
**

**_Hope you enjoyed it!_**

**_~TDU_**


	7. Sick Days (Part 1)

**Title: Sick Days (Part 1)**

**Description: Skull hacked wetly into his hand, wincing at the pain it caused him, and then winced again when he drew his hand back. It was splattered with blood. Well shit, this was worse than he thought. He might actually need to see a doctor this time.**

**Word Count: 1,000  
**

**Warnings: sick!Skull, Skull-is-Harry, short and simple, hints of Skull/Fon  
**

* * *

**Day 1**

Skull snuffled miserably as he tightened his grip on his blankets, shivers racking his thin frame. He hated being sick; hated it with every fiber of his being.

Of course, being who he was, Skull rarely got sick, but when he did, it was usually something serious -usually pneumonia, and on some occasions legionellosis-, most cases were things that could be fatal to normal humans.

He had noticed something was wrong three days before, when he had suddenly come down with a violent cough after staying out late training for the upcoming war against Ginny and her supporters, (who wanted to drag him back to Britain to clean of whatever mess they had made within the thirty years he had been gone) but he had brushed it off as something minor (to him), like bronchitis again.

But it wasn't.

Within the three day time frame, Skull had noticed a stabbing pain in his chest, the slight fever too, he was weak and fatigued all the time, he was always cold, but was sweating at night. He had no appetite, and Skull had lost some of his very little weight.

Skull hacked wetly into his hand, wincing at the pain it caused him, and then winced again when he drew his hand back.

It was splattered with blood.

_Well shit_, this was worse than he thought. He might actually need to see a doctor this time.

Forcing himself from the comforts of his warm (and now slightly bloodied) bed, Skull stumbled out of his bed and staggered down the hall, vision growing fuzzy around the edges as he looked for somebody, _anybody_.

His Flames fluctuated in distress as his vision blurred in and out of focus, he needed to find the others... Where were they?

The world suddenly tilted, the ground rushing up to meet him, before everything went black.

* * *

The flare of distressed Cloud Flame caught their attention first, and they were moving before the crash reached their ears. Fon was the first one to reach Skull, who was sprawled awkwardly on the ground, eyes half-lidded, air wheezing through lips stained red, and blood smeared across his chin.

Fon immediately dropped down beside the unconscious young man as Reborn and Colonello surveyed the area for any possible threats.

"This isn't an attack," Fon reassured the two gun-users, hands hovering over Skull's limp form, and his eyes narrowed in alarm, his breath hitching slightly. "Call Shamal."

* * *

"Tuberculosis." Shamal informed the hovering Arcobaleno, his mosquitoes flying overhead. "Usually, a case of tuberculosis this advanced is serious, sometimes fatal, but it would seem that Skull's systems are already _destroying _the illness at an impossible rate. There's really nothing for me to do." He told them, "Kid'll be out of it for the next few days while his immune system reconstructs itself. From what I can tell, the disease progressed within a three day period, instead of the usual three weeks, and while it got critical at an inhuman rate, his white blood cells are already destroying the infection." The doctor added in amazement, "Which should be impossible, because tuberculosis usually effects those who have it for the rest of their lives. But the kid's cells are completely _erasing_ any proof the infection had been there in the first place!"

A small smirk twisted Verde's face, "Hmm... What an interesting use of Cloud Flames..."

Shamal paused, looking as if the information had walloped him over the head, "Cloud Flame is propagation and multiplication, so speeding the disease up and propagating white blood cells to fight the disease... It makes so much sense now!"

* * *

**Day 2**

Fon brushed sweaty bangs from an unconscious Skull's forehead, replacing the wet towel as he did so. The younger Arcobaleno's forehead crinckled and glazed violet eyes fluttered open, not really focusing on anything particular.

"...Mum...?" Skull rasped quietly, and Fon felt his heartstrings tug, "Mum... is that you? Please don't leave me 'lone again... Don't like bein' 'lone..."

"Oh, Skull..." Fon muttered, cradling the Cloud's cheek, only to draw back in horror when hot tears started to roll down his fevered cheeks.

"Mum... Dad... Sirius... Remus... Fred... Teddy... Tonks... George... d-don't go..." Skull sobbed, "I don't like the dark... don't make it dark...! Dark is lonely... Don't wanna be alone!"

Fon shifted, unsure as to what to do, while Skull cried for people who weren't there.

"Dead... They're all dead... All m'fault... Dead because of me..."

Fon moved forward, cupping the younger man's cheeks in his warm hands, fingers deftly brushing away tears, as he touched their foreheads together. "_Xū, qīn'ài de [Chinese: Hush, dearest]_… It's alright, you're safe."

Skull calmed almost immediately, sniffling slightly as he burrowed into the older man's warmth. "D-don't leave me..." The violet-haired stuntman sniffled, and Fon placed a gentle kiss to the younger man's forehead.

"I don't plan to, _wǒ de bǎobèi. [Chinese: my treasure/my darling]_"

* * *

_**Yeah, Part 1 is short, sorry about that. I wrote this while I was sick, and decided to post it as a 2-part drabble. I have no medical knowledge other than coughing up blood is not good, so I hope you'll excuse me if I got anything wrong... I had a few people asking for a sick!Skull with the other Arcobaleno looking after him, so TADAAHH!  
**_

_**I have an idea for a future fic, or at least a headcannon; Skull and Fon eventually adopt a bunch of adorable little ninja babies ^.^**_

_**Hope you enjoyed it, Part 2 will be coming soon.**_

_**~TDU**_

_**Update: rianifitria pointed out the little error in my knowledge of Cloud Flames in her review ("**__**I wonder why Shamal didn't say something along the line of 'What an interesting use of Cloud Flame' because Cloud Flame is propagation and multiplication, so speeding the disease up and propagating white blood cells to fight the disease more makes sense. I'm not sure if Shamal knew about Skull's wizarding status, so it makes sense that he'd think it's Skull's Cloud Flame ability.") So I added a little bit more!  
**_

_**Cheers!**_


	8. Agony

**Title: Agony**

**Description: Laying spread-eagle on the ground, a growing puddle of blood under his head, was Skull; the ghastly helmet the Cloud loved so much had a large, blood-stained hole in the center of it.**

**Word Count: 970  
**

**Warnings: character death, Harry-is-Skull, hints of Skull/Fon, violence, blood, kind of short  
**

* * *

The scene they came upon when they arrived to the location of Bermuda's attack on Team Skull was a massacre. The bodies of the Shimon Famiglia littered the ground, and a closer look revealed that the young Guardians of Earth and their boss were still alive.

"Uh- guys, you might want to see this." Dino's shaky voice draw the others to where he was standing, brown eyes wide with horror, looking at the darkened corner of the room.

Fon was the first to reach the blond Don, and he froze upon doing so; laying spread-eagle on the ground, a growing puddle of blood under his head, was Skull; the ghastly helmet the Cloud loved so much had a large, blood-stained hole in the center of it.

Reborn swept past the Storm, hands already glowing with Sun Flames. This action jolted Fon back into action and the Chinese Arcobaleno followed after the hitman.

"We need to get the helmet off of him to get a better look at the injury." Fon instructed the Sun-user, pressing his fingers against Skull's neck to find the thready, almost non-existent, pulse. "I would use my own Flames to dissolve it, however it has a chance to do more harm than good."

Reborn didn't even snap at him for telling him what to do as he went about carefully prying the helmet off the smallest Arcobaleno, and Fon's free hand prodded across Skull's body to find any other possible wounds may have been inflicted on the youngest Arcobaleno.

The pulse slowed...

And stopped.

"_Tiān a!_" The curse that slipped from Fon's lips seemed to startle the others around him, "Get that thing off him!"

It seemed to happen in slow motion when Reborn finally managed to slide the ruined helmet from Skull's head, and if Fon hadn't been panicking at the time, he probably would have vomited.

Skull's face was caked in blood, the gaping hole in the middle of his head was leaking a mixture of blood, gray and white matter, and bone, a single large violet eyes was wide and unseeing- the other destroyed, and his was expression twisted in horror.

Fon could hear someone throwing up behind him, and Fon didn't blame whom ever it was; it truly was a gruesome sight.

(He would later find out that it had been the soft-hearted Tsunayoshi that had emptied the contents of his stomach)

Reborn immediately got to work, Sun Flames circling the wound, and the moment the yellow Flames had touched the injury, Cloud Flames flared to life to mix with Sun Flames.

Fon felt the formerly non-existent pulse flutter back to life, a small gasp left the tiny body under their hands as Skull drew in a ragged breath, and light entered his blank eye once more, before sliding closed and allowing his body to slump, and Fon thanked whatever gods that were listening for the Cloud's immortality.

The screeching of sirens signaled the arrival of the ambulances.

* * *

Seated beside the unconscious body of the smallest of the Arcobaleno, Fon ran a small hand through the wild hair of their youngest member; his entire head was bandaged, leaving only his messy violet locks visible, and Fon couldn't stop the shiver that traveled up his spine.

Skull looked like a member of the Vindice. And if what Reborn told them was true, that would be their future if they managed to survived the removal of their pacifiers.

A muffled groan drew the Storm from his thoughts, and Fon turned his attention back to Skull.

The smaller Arcobaleno was moaning in both pain and exhaustion, hands reaching up the bandages on his face, and after a few moments Skull began to unwind the wrappings.

Fon reached out and grabbed Skull's wrists. "No, Skull." He said, gently tugging the Cloud's hands away from his head.

"Fon?" Skull muttered dazedly, voice cracking, and he licked his dry lips, the only part he had managed to unwind.

Fon lifted a glass of water from the bedside table, moving the straw to the smaller Arcobaleno's lips. "Drink," The Storm ordered.

As Skull drank, Fon gently unwound the bandages from his comrade's head. Reaching over to the bedside table once more, the Chinese Arcobaleno grabbed clean wrappings.

A single violet eye blinked against the harsh light of the hospital room, face screwing up as Fon rewrapped Skull's forehead and left eye with soft hands. While he did so, the Storm explained to his fellow Arcobaleno what he had missed while he had been unconscious.

"Y-you mean we're going to die?" Skull asked dully,

"Tsunayoshi-kun has been plotting." Fon told him of the Vongola Heir's plans, and as he did, he saw the spark of _something_ enter Skull's only single visible eye, a mixture of relief and intensification. Skull's face twisted in determination, and his chin tilted stubbornly.

Fon knew that look; Skull wasn't about to give up. He was going to fight for his right to live.

He was going to fight for _all_ their rights to live.

"I'm in."

* * *

_**Tadahhh! I'm putting this up to celebrate the beginning of March Break. azure37410 asked for a little on Bermuda's attack on Skull, I hope this was good enough. :) I don't know about the start thought, it came out a little choppy.**_

_**Continuing with my author's note... I was thinking that maybe I'd make a multi-chapter fic for the Soldier Series where Death decides to show the Arcobaleno Skull's memories.**_

_**Love you all,**_

_**~TDU**_


	9. The Bazooka Strikes Again

**Title: The Bazooka Strikes Again**

**Description: Tsuna's shout had frightened the young boy, and the dark-hair Lightning Guardian had lost his grip of the weapon, sending it flying into the air, and those at the table watch as the pink bazooka sailed towards a startled Skull as if in slow motion.**

**Word Count: 600  
**

**Warnings: cheesy pickup lines, Fon/Skull, Harry-is-Skull, TYLSkull, very short  
**

* * *

It was a calm dinner for the Arcobaleno and the Vongola Guardians, for once there was no explosions, no arguing, no shouting matches, and no attempted murder...

Sawada Tsunayoshi, Don of the Vongola Famiglia, sighed thankfully as he sipped his tea... Peace and quiet for once.

"Ga...ma...n"

Apparently, it hadn't been as quiet as Tsuna had hoped, Reborn had been ignoring Lambo's attempts for a conversation, and it would seem the eight-year-old wasn't taking it well.

"A-ah! Lambo! Don't!"

Too late, Lambo had already pulled his 10 Year Bazooka out of who-knows-where; however, Tsuna's shout had frightened the young boy, and the dark-hair Lightning Guardian had lost his grip of the weapon, sending it flying into the air, and those at the table watch as the pink bazooka sailed towards a startled Skull as if in slow motion.

_POOF!_

The signature pink smoke flooded the dining room, and when it cleared, jaws dropped in shock.

Sitting in the seat Skull had been in moments before, was a shirtless young man, heterochromatic eyes blinking in surprise.

"E-eh?" That voice was definitely Skull, a little deeper and smoother than his 19-year-old self's. The makeup and plasters were gone, the lip chain/earring had been replaced by a single silver cuff on his right ear. One eye was still the same vibrant violet, but the other was a stunning emerald green. His hair had been tamed with length, reaching a little past his shoulders and tied into a messy ponytail; it was jet black, but it would seem that Skull was attached to the color purple even in the future, because the tips and bangs remained violet. His toned body was smeared with grease in places, and his muscled chest was dotted with scars.

But he didn't look much older than 23, instead of the 29 he should have looked.

"Skull?" Fon asked in surprise, and TYLSkull shot him a crooked smirk,

"Hello Love, stunning as always." The man purred, looking smug when a light blush rose up Fon's cheeks. "Hey, now. Don't frown. You never know who could be falling in love with your smile." TYLSkull looked quite amused as the Chinese martial artist grew even more flustered. "Y'know Fon, for a moment I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Now I see that I am very much alive, and heaven has been brought to me."

Fon made a little strangled noise at the back of his throat, and Tsuna suspected that if Fon's face got any redder it would be steaming.

TYLSkull barreled on, "I always thought happiness started with an H. Why does mine start with U?"

A grinning Reborn was taping the whole thing with his Leon-Cam.

"If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I'd have a galaxy." He pressed a kiss to the palm of Fon's hand.

_POOF!_

Younger Skull was back, face burning red, and a funny squeaking noise left his throat before he buried his red face in his arms.

Seated beside him, a stuttering blushing Fon was hiding his own face in his hands.

Tsuna sweat-dropped as the others at the table laughed; it would seem the had bazooka struck again.

* * *

_**Hahaha, yes I did that! TYLSkull uses pickup lines to fluster a younger Fon! He finally gets his revenge for all the times Fon flustered him.  
**_

_**This is to celebrate the 200+ reviews the Soldier Prompt Series has, I honestly didn't expect it to be so popular! You can thank Cynthia of the Wallflowers for the idea of a flirty!TYLSkull. :)  
**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_

_**~TDU**_


	10. When The Bazooka Struck

**Title: When The Bazooka Struck**

**Description: When his husband had been enveloped by the familiar pink smoke of the 10 Year Bazooka, Fon had two thoughts running through his head: _The Ten Year Bazooka strikes again, _and that he was _going to have so much fun with this. _And when a very confused and slightly startled 10YYSkull appeared before him, the first thing out of Fon's mouth was; "If you're feeling down, I can feel you up."**

**Word Count: 499  
**

**Warnings: sexy Fon, Skull/Fon, TYL!Fon, pickup lines, very short  
**

* * *

When the explosion of smoke interrupted their conversation, Fon knew he was going to have fun. His Skull had been leaning against his repaired bike, smeared with grease and sweaty, and looking quite attractive if Fon did say so himself.

When his husband had been enveloped by the familiar pink smoke of the 10 Year Bazooka, Fon had two thoughts running through his head:

_The Ten Year Bazooka strikes again, _and that he was _going to have so much fun with this._

And when a very confused and slightly startled 10YYSkull appeared before him, the first thing out of Fon's mouth was; "If you're feeling down, I can feel you up."

The look of shock that spread across the younger Skull's face was priceless; Fon was looking forward to winning the contest he had with his husband (aka, who can make the younger version of their lover blush more using cheesy pickup lines).

"W-what?" Skull squawked, face all but glowing, and only after one pickup line.

"When I'm around you I can't think straight." Fon continued with a purr, circling the stuttering younger version of his lover. "It's a good thing same-sex marriage is legal here, because I'm already planning our wedding."

10YYSkull squeaked when Fon wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart.

"Do you know what I did last night? I looked up at the stars, and matched each one with a reason why I love you."

_POOF!_

Fon smirked when his Skull took the place of his younger self, he tugged the younger man closer and pecked him on the lips.

"That was fun," Skull laughed when they pulled apart. "We should do it again sometime!"

Fon smirked, "I had forgotten how innocent and adorable your young self was." He then sighed dramatically, "Reborn has corrupted your innocence, my love."

Skull snorted,

"You know, Skull..." Fon purred, kissing his lover's jaw. "That shirt's very becoming on you. If I were on you, I'd be coming too."

"I'm not wearing a shirt." Skull shot back, a grin growing on his face.

Fon kissed him again, pulling the younger man flush against him and Skull wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck to deepen the kiss. When they pulled away, panting for breath, Fon spoke again "Maybe you should take off a little more."

Licking his lips, Skull answered silkily, "Maybe I should."

* * *

_***cackles in the distance* I'll just leave this here.  
**_

_**So, because of popular demand and murderous plunnies, I present to you the continuation of The Bazooka Strikes Again, TYL!Fon's point of view. A bit of flirty TYL!Fon/TYL!Skull thrown in the mix too.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_

_**~TDU**_


	11. Red String of Fate

**Title: Red String of Fate**

**Description: The first time Skull met Fon. he still went by the name Harry Potter; they had no idea who the other was, and it was simply a chance meeting between two children in a tree.**

**Word Count: 950  
**

**Warnings: (probably incorrect) Chinese phrases, little!Fon, little!Skull, Harry-is-Skull, hints of Fon/Skull**

* * *

_"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break."  
-An ancient Chinese belief _

* * *

The first time Skull met Fon. he still went by the name Harry Potter; they had no idea who the other was, and it was simply a chance meeting between two children in a tree.

A seven year old Harry Potter was hiding; his cousin wanted to 'play', and when Dudley wanted to play, Harry always got hurt.

"_Nǐ hǎo! [Chinese: Hello!]_" Harry jumped, head snapping upwards to see an older boy, probably around eleven, wearing a red Chinese-styled shirt and loose white pants, with shoulder-length dark hair tied back in a braid, and brown eyes almost gold in the sunlight, hanging upside down on the branch above Harry, arms crossed over his chest and a non-chalant grin on his face, as if he was completely fine with the fact that, if he fell, his head would crack open like an egg.

What threw him off though, was that Harry hadn't even heard him approach.

"H-hello?"

The older boy smiled, flipping off the higher branch and landing lightly beside the younger boy, much like a cat. "_Wǒ jiào Fēng! [Chinese: My name is Fēng(Mandarin romanization of Fon's name)!]_"

Harry blinked; he had no idea what the kid was saying, and the older boy must have noticed, because his brows furrowed before he pointed at himself.

"_Fēng_,"

A small frown spread over Harry face as he turned the name -it was a name, right?- over in his head. "...Fon...?", it was a closest he could get to pronouncing it.

The newly dubbed 'Fon' shrugged, as if saying 'close enough', before pointing at Harry, "_Qǐngwèn nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? [Chinese: What's your name?]_"

Confused, Harry pointed at himself, and at Fon's nod he told him. "I'm Harry."

Fon's head tilted to the side, he hesitated before repeating it. "_Harui__._"

"Harry."

"_Harui__._"

"_Fēng! Nǐ zài nǎ li? [Chinese: Where are you?]_"

Fon's head turned towards the ground, "_Sifu Bingwen!_" Harry followed the older boy's gaze to see an older man, with graying dark brown hair and gray eyes dressed similarly to Fon making his way towards them. "_Zhè shì wǒde péngyou, Harui! [Chinese: This is my friend, Harry!]_"

Harry was completely lost at the rapid-fire Chinese conversation that happened between this 'Bingwen' character and Fon, only that 'Harui' was mentioned quite a few times, so it must have been about him.

Finally, Fon turned to him and stuck out his hand with a smile, and hesitantly Harry took it. "_Bǎozhòng, Harui. [Chinese: Look after yourself, Harry.]_" Retracting his hand, Fon smiled once more before leaping from the tree, landing with cat-like grace on the grassy ground, and with a final wave, Fon and the older man left.

Harry was left alone, with only a warm tingling in his hand to prove that Fon had been real and not a figment of his imagination.

* * *

It was not for another twelve years that they saw each other again. They had changed, and neither was the innocent little boy the other had met in that tree all those years ago.

By the time they met again, they were weary of the world. They were tired and worn, but they could still manage a smile. Harry was no longer Harry, but Skull; a young man on the run, hiding from his past and trying to live with the memories.

After the death of his beloved Sifu, Fēng became Fon, he involved himself in the mafia to forget about the pain of his memories.

But you know what they say; that red thread that connects two people may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.

"Do you happen to climb trees often?"

Skull jumped, clutching his heart and looking up to see Fon seated calmly on the branch above him, arms crossed over his chest and a serene smile on his face. "_Jeezus_, Fon! You scared the crap outta me!"

The older man chuckled lightly, slipping from his seat above Skull to land lightly beside the purple-haired young man, they sat in comfortable silence, watching the sun set in the distance.

"You are afraid." Fon spoke finally, eyes never leaving the orange sky.

Skull's shoulders slumped, "Yeah... It's just... We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow... I think Luche does, but she won't tell."

Fon hummed, "When I was learning under Master Bingwen, he told me something that I think of every single day, a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh... _Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones._"

Blinking, Skull glanced from Fon, and back to the darkening sky. "The beautiful sky, huh?" He mused, before a small smile stretched across his painted lips, "Fitting."

* * *

_"I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfil our destiny, but our fate is sealed." _

_-Paulo Coelho_

* * *

**_There you go, another update! Yay for March Break and my time off!  
_**

**_Just a warning, I don't speak Chinese, in fact, I don't even understand it. I used different websites to find out what Fon was going to say, so if it's incorrect, I'm very sorry. -.-"_**

**_This was borne from a dream I had last night about Fon and Skull meeting when they were children and Skull was still Harry Potter. As for the reason why Fon was even there, let's just say there was a Martial Arts' competition or something._**

**_Hope you enjoyed!_**

**_~TDU_**


	12. Sick Days (Part 2)

**Title: Sick Days (Part 2)**

**Description: When Reborn entered Skull's room, a bowl of chicken broth balanced on one arm, he did not expect to see Skull sitting up, looking pale and sickly, but very much aware and fiddling with something in his hands. "Hey, senpai." The stuntman greeted, barely looking up from the hand-held device in his hands. "Are you my babysitter today?"**

**Word Count: 900**

**Warnings: fluff galore, pokemon, sick!Skull, short  
**

* * *

**Day 3**

Skull's eyes opened slowly, he blinked against the harsh sunlight coming through the curtains, and with a groan he threw his arm over his eyes to shield them. He grimaced at the dryness of his throat, _urg he absolutely hated being sick._

A chuckle alerted him that he was not the only one in the room.

Peering out from under his pale forearm, the stuntman watched as a familiar blond man closed the curtains so only a little light filtered into the bedroom.

"Colonello?" Skull rasped, moving his arm from his face to get a better look at the Rain Arcobaleno, who grinned and raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo!" Colonello held out a glass of water, "Here, you'll need this. -kora"

Skull struggled to push himself up, eyes never leaving the blond sniper as he took the cup gingerly from the older Arcobaleno's hand. "What're you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on you. -kora" Colonello informed him, "Fon was called in for a mission -kora."

Skull hummed as he took a sip from the refreshing water, almost sighing in relief when the cool liquid eased the burn in his throat.

"I also brought you a present." Skull glanced up when Colonello all but shoved a hastily-wrapped blue package into his lap, a small blush dusting the sniper's cheeks. "Get better soon -kora." He said awkwardly before turning and fleeing from whence he came.

* * *

**Day 4**

When Reborn entered Skull's room, a bowl of chicken broth balanced on one arm, he did not expect to see Skull sitting up, looking pale and sickly, but very much aware and fiddling with something in his hands.

"Hey, senpai." The stuntman greeted, barely looking up from the hand-held device in his hands. "Are you my babysitter today?"

Reborn grunted, placing the broth on the younger man's bedside table, "What's that you have?"

"Oh, this?" Skull wiggled the purple thing in his hands, "It's a Three-Dee-Es, Colonello got it for me as a get better soon present. I'm playing Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, and my Torchic just evolved into a Combusken, I named her Hedwig." The violet-haired Arcobaleno's voice was oddly reminiscent when he said the name of his 'Combusken'. "I'm heading to Dewford Town to fight Brawley. He uses all fighting types, so I'm hoping to catch a physic type to use against him. Hedwig'll only get me so far."

"Interesting." Reborn replied, even though he really had no idea what his young comrade was talking about.

"Damn it, Padfoot! Don't loose to a fucking Slakoth!" Skull cursed, pounding on the buttons on his 3DS.

"Padfoot?" Reborn echoed, leaning back in his seat to watch the younger man curse out his game.

"My Poochyena." Skull told him, as if that explained everything, before going back to growling at his video game "Fine, you know what? I'll just let my Combusken _pound your fucking Slakoth into the ground_! Haha! Take that, Backpacker Graeme! VICTORY IS MINE!"

* * *

**Day 5**

Skull was asleep when Lal slunk into his room, and the former CEDEF member was thankful for small mercies. Because she really didn't want the younger Arcobaleno to see her sneaking into his room in the dead of night with a stuffed Pikachu under her arm.

She blamed Reborn for telling her that Skull enjoyed Pokemon, she really did.

Lal blinked when she bumped into a retreating Viper, who only nodded to her before fleeing the stuntman's room. She returned to her task, sneaking forward, Pikachu in hand as she quietly approached the sleeping teenager.

She paused.

Resting beside Skull's head, was a stuffed Torchic.

Glancing behind her to where Viper had been moments before, a smile lifted her lips and she placed the yellow mouse Pokemon down next to the red bird pokemon. Lal tenderly brushed messy bangs from Skull's forehead, before leaning forward to place a light kiss to his brow.

When she turned to leave, the gunner very nearly walked face first into Verde's chest.

The scientist only adjusted his glasses calmly, a fuzzy Azurill doll in his arms.

* * *

**Day 6**

When Skull made his way downstairs the next day for breakfast, looking much better than he had been for the past week, nobody made any mention to the collection of Pokemon dolls in his arms or the 3DS in his pocket.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Skull." Fon said calmly, placing a warm cup of tea beside the Cloud Arcobaleno.

"Me too!" Skull agreed, "I hate being sick."

Fon hummed, "That reminds me, I picked something up for you while I was returning from my mission."

Skull looked up from his eggs when a stuffed Charmander was placed in front of him, and a light blush spread across his face.

"I thought you would like it." Fon explained with a charming smile. "I saw it and it made me think of you."

Blushing, Skull picked the orange dragon doll up from the table and turned it around in his hands a few times. "Thank you." He muttered shyly, looking up to smile at his family. "Thank you, all of you."

Reborn was the one who spoke for the Arcobaleno, tilting his hat to hide the light dusting of pink on his cheeks, "As long as you're happy, Lackey."

* * *

_**I'm purposely drowning you in fluffy feels, to prepare you for the upcoming angst storm that I have planned (mainly for A Soldier's Memories). Again, a short chapter, but it has Pokemon in it! :D I was playing Alpha Sapphire before writing this, so I couldn't help it. But-but Skull! With fluffy Pokemon plushies! *squee* **_

_**As for Skull's reaction playing his Pokemon game, I always find myself doing the same thing...**_

_**This post is up pretty quickly after my last one, I think my exhaustion is egging me on or something.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_

_**~TDU**_


	13. The Master of Death

**Title: The Master of Death**

**Description: Being the Master of Death did not make Skull immortal. He could die, but he would never pass on; the moment his soul left his body, Death would snatch it back up and shove it into the body of a newborn and he would start all over again.**

**Word Count: 917  
**

**Warnings: Harry-is-Skull, character death x2, angst, tragedy, MOD!Harry, Skull/Fon, AU ending  
**

* * *

Being the Master of Death did not make Skull immortal.

It just meant he had a set amount of times he could come back to life. He could only die so many times before _really _dying. But he would also move onto another life, become another person; Death would always be a timeless presence in his life(_lives_).

The moment he, as Harry Potter, had held all three of the Deathly Hallows in his hands, he had unknowingly cursed himself to eternity as the Avatar, the Reaper, the Walker.

He could die, but he would _never_ pass on.

He would never _them_ (_DadMumSiriusRemusFredGeorgeTeddyTonksandsososomanymore_) again.

Eventually, Skull would exhaust the amounts of 'redos'/'respawns', and he would move on to the next life. The moment his soul left his body, Death would snatch it back up and shove it into the body of a newborn and he would start all over again.

He had already died so many times _(bullettothebrain/motorcyclecrash/burning__**suffocating**__flames/Bermuda/"letsseehowmanytimesyoucancomebacktolife"/experimentation/stabbedintheheart/AvadaKedavra)_ , so how many more did he have?

Skull was cursed to live his lives wandering the Earth, never getting his peace, never allowed to rest.

Death was constant, and so was its Master.

* * *

"You are running out of Times, Master." Death could take any form it so wished, the form it had chosen before appearing before its Master was a handsome man with teakwood coloured skin, lean and muscular with a regal face and golden eyes, black hair flowing down to its shoulders in gentle waves.

Skull barely even looked up from his breakfast, his violet eyes flickered from the presence over his shoulder, back to his oatmeal. "I know... I can _feel_ it."

Death dipped its head, "There are only so many times I can revive you in this life, my Master." Golden eyes seemed to peer into his very soul (considering who it was, Skull wouldn't be surprised if Death had spared a glance). "You know, yet you have not come to terms with the fact. You are attached to these mortals, one in particular; the one kissed by the Storms."

Skull's shoulders stiffened.

"You and he are connect by Fate itself, Master." Death spoke calmly, "It's thread of Destiny tie you together. Where you go, your Storm will follow."

_His Storm would follow-?_

"What the Bloody Hell do you mean by that?!" Skull roared, shooting to his feet, eyes wild, and Death actually looked taken aback. "This is my curse to bare! You can't just drag other people into it! What about Fon, huh?! He has people waiting for him!"

"I had no choice in the matter, Master. Fate -"

"_SCREW FATE!_" Skull shouted, interrupting the Spirit. "I refuse -"

"_Enough_." The cold tone of Death's voice made Skull go silent. "Humans are so foolish. You stand above these pitiful creatures, Master. And your Fated stands beside you. He will follow you on the path of reincarnation, and you will be together, no matter what life you live. He was Tied to you long before you became my Master."

Skull collapsed bonelessly into his chair, cradling his head in his hands. "Oh god- you mean.. when I die-"

"He will follow." Death agreed, "It is rare that two beings are Tied as tightly as you and your Fated are. When you pass on, he will follow you to your grave."

* * *

It was years later when Death's warning came to pass. Skull had lived happily, he had married his Fated, they had taken in and raised amazing children together. They may have been young still, but they had lived to the fullest.

It had been an attack that no one had seen coming. Christmas Eve; it had been in the dead of night when Skull had been torn awake by the feeling of souls being ripped from their bodies before their time, and Skull knew immediately that whoever it was that was attacking the Vongola mansion was after either the Vongola Don, or his infantile Heir.

Skull knew he was dying, and he could feel Fon's life slipping away through their bond. Neither of them were afraid; they had known this day would come eventually.

He could feel their life dripping away like the blood from his torn chest, Death was hovering over his shoulder, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, coaxing him, calling for him.

Skull's eyes fluttered shut, and with the last of his strength he reached for his Storm's hand, laying centimeters from his own. He knew the others were coming, but by the time they would reach them, they'd already be gone.

He forced his bloodied lips to move, wishing so so deeply to convey his last words to the man he would spend forever with.

"_I'll find you._"

Time slowed, Death's honeyed words growing louder and closer by the second...

And two hearts stopped beating.

At that same moment, the cry of two newborns rent the air, a shimmering red thread connecting them to each other.

* * *

_**I wanted to try something new, and voila! Some angst and tragedy to spice up all that fluff I've been shoving down your throat lately.  
**_

_**This is based on a headcannon of mine, that being MOD does not actually make Harry immortal, he is reincarnated instead. I wanted to tie Fon in there too, because I now officially ship this forever (I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!)**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this!**_

_**Review is Love, Review is Life.**_

_**~TDU**_


	14. Pasts: Reborn

**Title: Pasts: Reborn**

**Description: The world was a dark and unforgiving place, and Reborn had known that from a young age.**

**Word Count: 780**

**Warnings: mentions of rape/murder/mugging, killing, Reborn!centric  
**

* * *

Reborn recognized the signs of a dark past and the shadows that haunted your steps. He himself had lived through it, he had his shadows, his own regrets, his own darkness.

He was born under the name Renato; the bastard son of a prostitute and the disgraced Don of a minor Mafia Family, he was abandoned as soon as he was able to fend for himself on the streets of Venice. Reborn had grown up on those streets. He had witnessed murder, muggings, rape; he had seen other street rats starve to death while no one did anything to help them.

The world was a dark and unforgiving place, and Reborn had known that from a young age.

He had done what was required of him to survive; he stole, he cheated, and he fought. When he was old enough, he became a Runner for the local gangs, he did minor jobs, he ran drugs to clients, and when he could hold a gun without being damaged by the recoil, he was taught to kill.

The first innocent he killed was an accident; it was his first job as a hitman in training, assassinate a rival gang boss- get in, kill the target, and get out. Reborn had planned and plotted, he staked the area and learned about the man's schedule.

He thought he had planned for everything, but he hadn't.

Reborn hadn't thought of the man's daughter; only a teenager, possibly his age, maybe even a year older, and she knew nothing of her father's shady businesses.

_An innocent_.

She hadn't done anything but walk into the room when her father's brains exploded across the wall.

He had shot her before she had the chance to scream.

Reborn still remembered her face, even after nearly fifty years. She had been a mousy little thing, with curly brown hair and big blue eyes. There had been exactly twenty-three freckles across the bridge of her nose, and a birthmark on the left side of her face, directly under her eye.

Afterwards, he worked to rise through the ranks of hitmen, he killed more and more people, some were innocent, most were not. He gained a reputation, and the moment he started getting jobs from the Mafia, he wiped his hands of the petty street gangs.

Renato disappeared, and Reborn took his place.

He was no longer the street rat with barely enough money to scrape by. He had enough money to spare, so he bought expensive suits, and became a gentleman; the exact opposite as the grubby little rat with horrible manners he had been once upon a time.

He became _The_ Hitman.

When he had gotten the invitation to the meeting of the Strongest Seven of his generation, he hadn't hesitated to accept. It was a job after all, and he was the greatest hitman in the world.

When Reborn met the other members of who would soon become the Arcobaleno, he had not been disappointed. He knew of most of them; Fon - the Chinese assassin who could crush your chest cavity with his bare hands, Verde - the genius scientist, Viper - the strongest illusionists in the world, Luche - the Donna of the Giligo Nero. The other woman, Lal Mirch, he hadn't known much about, only that she was a soldier and was one of the best gunners to date.

And then there was Skull du Mort, the only unknown in the room. Sure, Reborn had heard of him in passing; a stuntman, someone who went by 'The Deathless Stuntman'. He had thought that the name had been nothing but propaganda, something to sell tickets.

At least, that had been what he'd thought until the kid took a bullet for him. A bullet through the brain, something that should have resulted in instant death.

Instead, the Cloud-user had sat up with a gasp, injury sparking as it knitted itself back together.

It had been rather shocking.

As time went by, Reborn learned to respect and care for the other members. He had loved Luche, Fon became a close companion, Verde and Viper creeped him out but they respected each other, Lal became something of a sister, and Colonello was his rival. Skull became someone he grew to see as a little brother, someone he needed to teach and guide.

Reborn knew the signs if a terrible past, and the same dark air that hung around him surrounded every member of the Arcobaleno.

But, Reborn also knew the signs of a survivor; someone who refused to stay down when life knocked them down. Someone who fought against the odds and came out alive.

They were survivors.

* * *

_**This was borne from one fan who pointed out I concentrate too much on Skull and Fon (oops -.-"). This one was written while I was in class, I had a sudden jolt of inspiration to start a series of how I imagined the Arcobalenos' pasts.  
**_

_**Hope you enjoyed~**_

_**~TDU**_


	15. Pasts: Viper

**Title: Pasts: Viper**

**Description: He never really wanted to get close to the other members of what would become the Arcobaleno, he kept them at a distance, but somehow they managed to worm their way into his closely guarded heart.**

**Word Count: 970  
**

**Warnings: mentions of child abuse, Viper!centric, trans!Viper, mentions of murder  
**

* * *

His name hadn't always been Viper.

He was born with the name 'Adelinda Grindelwald', the granddaughter of the former-Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald, a little girl with bouncy blonde curls and stunning eyes the colour of the twilight sky; a mixture of blues and violets. His grandmother had been the unfortunate victim of Gellert Grindelwald's undeniable charm, a proud "pureblood" witch who was reduced to nothing but a shell of her former self, who fell in love with a man who would never love her back, and grew obsessed with the image of the man she had placed on a pedestal and all-but worshiped.

His mother wasn't much better (bigots the lot of them).

Deep down, he had always known that he wasn't truly a girl. This, coupled with whom he was related to, lead to ridicule from his peers as he grew up.

He was beaten down; those who should have been his family, who should have accepted him as he was, tried to change him. They thought that assaulting him would make him 'normal' once more.

It was in those dark times that he grew to learn hatred; he became recluse, untrusting, never letting anyone near him.

He grew to associate being touched with pain.

_Aphenphosmphobia_ they called it. The fear of being touched, or touching others.

And when his family had had enough of him, they abandoned him in the forest. After nearly a year on the run, he was adopted into a small nomadic Druid clan in the south of Scandinavia, where they accepted him with open arms, they didn't care that he had been born as a girl, but identified himself as a boy.

They became his family.

He was given the name 'Viper', and when it came time for him to receive their clan's markings, he decided to display them proudly upon his cheeks. They taught him magiks, they taught him to control his extrasensory perception. He learned about his Soul Flame; such a beautiful shade of indigo that could crush minds and rend people to mindless husks. He took to wearing cloaks and hoods, he chopped off all his long blond hair and dyed it dark purple, the colour of his clan.

He began to let people in once more, and slowly, ever so slowly, relearned that being touched didn't always mean pain.

On his fifteenth birthday, he shed his female skin. His Clan had created a spell, created it specifically for him, that would allow one to change their physical gender.

And he was happy.

But he had learned early in his life that happiness never lasted.

Unrest was stirring once more; the Dark Lord Voldemort had risen to power once more in Britain, and had begun to extend his power to the other magical communities, those who didn't join were being hunted and killed by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters.

His clan had refused to join, just like many others; they would not get involved in the matters of arrogant wand-users, and their so-called 'Dark Lords'. Druids were peaceful, they had no wish to fight in wars.

And for that, they were slaughtered.

Every man, woman, and child.

Hundreds of years, maybe even thousands, worth of history lost within the blink of an eye.

Those few Druids who had survived scattered to the winds.

Viper grew angry, he wanted nothing more than to get revenge. He wanted Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters to suffer. By then he was a young man, of age and all alone once more. His anger festered like an open wound, and to distract himself from such poison, he shut down his emotions and became an assassin.

The years past. He took jobs, magical or mundane, it didn't matter, as long as the pay was good. His clan would be ashamed, he knew it of course, but his clan was dead and gone.

When he had learned of Lord Voldemort's defeat at the hands of a young man even younger than he, seventeen year old Harry Potter had killed the Dark Lord, and while Viper was glad that Lord Voldemort was dead, he was angry that he didn't die by _Viper's_ hands.

Almost a year later, he received a letter inviting him to the gathering of The Strongest Seven. The pay was higher than anything he had ever been offered before, so maybe it was worth checking out...

It was.

The strong air of power that surrounded the people around him was almost suffocating, but Viper wasn't a Druid for nothing. And when their last member entered through the doors, Viper's hands shook. The young man (_teenager_) with the messy violet hair and glowing purple eyes radiated magic, despite the tight reign he kept on it, it rolled off him in waves.

This child was powerful.

They all were.

He never really wanted to get close to the other members of what would become the Arcobaleno, he kept them at a distance, but somehow they managed to worm their way into his closely guarded heart.

To them, he was Viper. Their comrade and friend; and maybe even family.

He had never truly been Adelinda.

He hadn't managed to stay Mammon.

But he would always be _Viper_.

* * *

_**So yeah, here you go.  
**_

_**I got the idea of Viper being a member of a Druid clan from pococo's story Poison to the Heart (although pococo's is a Harry-is-Viper story, and instead of Druids the clan is made of ESPers).**_

_**As for Viper being transgender, I always thought it fit, and I've never seen a story that looks at it that way (if you have, it would be great to know in case someone thinks I'm copying them or something).**_

_**I hope you enjoyed my take at Viper's past!**_

_**~TDU**_


	16. Pasts: Colonello

**Title: Pasts: Colonello**

**Description: Colonello had been seven when his mother had died; she had always been sickly,_ complications from your birth_, they said. _Your fault_, his father had snarled. With his mother's death their light vanished, and with it went their laughter.**

**Word Count: 920**

**Warnings: mentions of alcoholism, death, OCs, Colonello!centric, suicide  
**

* * *

Colonello could remember a time when his family had been happy; there had been a time when the house he had grown up in had been full of laughter.

His father had been a fisherman, with dark hair and eyes, and olive skin, Emilio Acquarone looked like your typical Italian man, tall and broad-shouldered.

His mother was a seamstress, her family had come from Germany. If his father had been darkness, his mother had been the sunshine; long golden-blonde hair, a natural tan, she had been slim and tall, with bright blue eyes.

Amalie Acquarone had been the village beauty, and Colonello had inherited his mother's looks.

Sure, they had been poor, but they had been happy.

However, it didn't last.

Colonello had been seven when his mother had died; she had always been sickly,_ complications from your birth_, they said. _Your fault_, his father had snarled.

With his mother's death their light vanished, and with it went their laughter.

His father became angry and drunk, he drank more and more, and most mornings before school Colonello would find his father snoring on the couch in nothing but his boxers, and surrounded by empty and smashed beer bottles.

Sometimes he would be awakened in the middle of the night to the sound of yelling and glass shattering, and those nights he would burrow deeper into his ratty comforter, squeeze his eyes shut and think of the happier days.

_Look at the sky._ His mother would tell him; her eyes the colour of the bluest of skies, and hair like woven sunlight. _The sky never changes, it's always there, watching over us. The sky will never ever leave you. We are not alone._ _We are never alone._

As the years flew past, his father's alcoholic issues grew worse, and his anger festered into something ugly.

_It's all your fault! _His father would shout, drunkenly stumbling towards him. _Amalie would still be with me if it weren't for you!_

His father had never hit him, but he sure had come close.

When Colonello was thirteen, he returned home late from school one day to find his father laying on the floor in a puddle of blood, and knife protruding from his stomach and Amalie Acquarone's favorite scarf clutched in his hand.

_Suicide... _The neighbors whispered when they thought he wasn't listening. _He couldn't take anymore... Lost his wife... Left his son behind..._

Colonello had no other living family, and nobody wanted to adopt an orphaned teenager. Foster homes were the only option.

It took him only a month to find that he hated foster care.

He was a single blue-eyed blonde in a crowd of dark-haired children; he was different.

_Cursed. _They would say as Colonello walked past them. _His birth caused his mother's death, and his father couldn't stand him, so he killed himself._

Colonello grew angry. His once bright blue eyes, the colour of the sky -just like his mother's, darkened into glares that never left his face. He got into fights, and grew more and more distant as time past and he was bumped from one foster home to another.

Then he met Grammy.

She had been a frail, older lady who had taken one look at his bruised, bloodied face and tsked, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently began to clean his face.

_Such a pretty face,_ she would say. _You're ruining it with all your scuffles. And those eyes, you should smile more, dear, they're as beautiful as the sky._

Grammy took him in when no one else would. She would fret over him after fights, clucking like an angry hen as she told him: _An eye for an eye, and everyone just end up_ _blind, dearie._

And slowly, but surely, his eyes began to lighten once more.

When he first met Lal Mirch a few years later when he joined COMSUBIN, he instantly liked the no-nonsense young woman who had become second in command (soon to be commander when Commander Ezio retired) at such a young age and reminded him of his Grammy.

The feeling was not mutual.

When their Commander had told Lal that she was to train him before she could take command of COMSUBIN, she tried to shoot him. And on their first day of tor-_training _she ran him over.

With a tank.

At twenty-two, three years after the incident with the tank, Colonello had risen through the ranks of COMSUBIN. Lal had taken command, and then she had been contracted for a job.

The job she had been called in for gave Colonello a bad feeling.

So he followed her.

Not his brightest idea, because a month later he and the other seven people (those who had actually been contacted for the job) were turned into infants. His attempt to protect the woman he had slowly began to have feelings for failed.

He could live with being turned into an infant, and he had taken a liking to the other Arcobaleno. The smallest of their group, Skull, reminded him of himself when he was younger, only Skull had been through worse. He had the same darkness around him, despite the smiles Skull plastered on his face when the others were looking.

They were all like that, every single one of them.

It was then Colonello decided he'd do for Skull and the other Arcobaleno what Granny had done for him.

He would show them there was still light to be found in the darkness; all they had to do was light a candle to show them the way.

* * *

_**Voila! My take on Colonello's past! Hope you enjoyed.  
**_

_**The last name means something along the lines of "dweller by a large expanse of water". Thought it would be fitting, and slightly ironic (giving his Rain Flames).**_

_**~TDU**_


	17. Pasts: Verde

**Title: Pasts- Verde**

**Description: "You may be a genius, and slightly creepy. You may think that you don't need one, but everyone needs a Family. Everyone needs people they can rely on to watch their backs." **

**Word Count: 550  
**

**Warnings: possible!OOC, Verde POV, Skull-is-Harry  
**

* * *

Verde's genius mind had deemed his childhood unimportant.

He had been born and raised in the small French town of Argentat, he would walk along the banks of the Dordgne River every day as he walked to and from his useless school that was teaching him things he already knew.

His past had been unimportant, there was nothing special about it.

His parents had loved him, though he never understood what 'love' truly was. It was simply a plebeian emotion, and emotions were unneeded in his mind. Things like 'love' only hampered his mind.

Verde's parents had loved him, yes, but they had no idea how to raise a child who was more intelligent than they were from a young age. He could remember everything he had seen, everything he had heard, and everything he had read.

His parents may have loved him, but the others of the village couldn't stand him.

The adults avoided him, and the children either hated him, or they were scared of him.

Abnormal... The parents would say as the tugged their children away from him. Doesn't act human...

Verde found humanity over-rated, anyway.

Humans were violent, selfish beings, if something didn't benefit them in some way, they wouldn't bother. They shunned the things they could not explain, and prayed to their gods to show them the way instead of getting up a forging their own paths.

Verde believed in science, and the power of his own mind.

To him, the world was split into two groups. On one side, was the everyday people; those who lived boring, monotonous lives, and never used the mind's higher functions.

On the other side, he stood alone. He was always alone, but the yearn for human companionship was not something Verde thought necessary.

He never expected those beliefs to change, but slowly, surely, other people began to join him on his side. They broke down the walls he had built around his world, and wormed their way in, some more determined than others.

Luche

Reborn

Viper

Fon

Colonello

Lal

Skull

Aria

Yuni

Even the Vongola.

Every single one of them had slowly appeared in his world, even if he tried to keep them at a distance. They forced their way through the gates to his heart, some more stubbornly than others, and made themselves comfortable.

_"You may be a genius, and slightly creepy. You may think that you don't need one,_ _but everyone needs a Family. Everyone needs people they can rely on to watch their backs." _

Skull had told him those words when he had shouted at him in a drunken rage after being cursed; the smaller Arcobaleno had taken everything he had thrown at him, every insult and slur, and then looked him in the eye and told him he was Family.

Verde had never understood the meaning of 'family', but maybe- just maybe- he would learn someday.

After all, he had people around to teach him.

* * *

_**So there you go! Not as long, but Verde is a very difficult character to write, so I hope I gave him credit. I've always imagined Verde being from France, and Argentat is a real place.**_

_**The next Pasts I'm working on is Lal! :D So stay tuned, my lovelies!**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_

_**~TDU**_


	18. Pasts: Lal Mirch

**Title: Pasts- Lal Mirch**

**Description: Once upon a time, she had been called Lalia. But that had been a long, long time ago.  
**

**Word Count: 950**

**Warnings: hints of sexual abuse, mentions of abuse, neglect, oc, Harry-is-Skull, language  
**

* * *

Once upon a time, she had been called Lalia.

She was the daughter of Greek ambassador Euadine Mitchum and an Italian soldier, conceived while her mother was visiting an embassy in Italy and slept with the soldier assigned to be her guard. It had been a one night kind of thing, and yet something unexpected came out of it.

Nine months later Lalia Mitchum was born out of wedlock and without a father in sight, something greatly looked down upon. The scandal nearly ruined her mother's career, and for the first years of her life, Lalia grew up amongst the servants and maids of an otherwise empty house.

Her mother wanted nothing to do with her, she hated the sight of the little dark-haired girl that had nearly ruined her life, and when Lalia turned nine Euadine had tracked down her daughter's father.

Piero Romero had been killed in action at the age of twenty-five, two years after Lalia's birth. He had died suddenly and young, and full of promise, leaving only an older brother to carry his legacy.

And so, at nine years old, Lalia was packed off to live with her uncle.

Rinaldo Romero had not been a kind man, hell he hadn't even been a pleasant man. He had been sleazy and immoral, a drunk with anger management issues. Poor and barely scraping by, her uncle had decided to 'make use' of his pretty little niece.

His contacts had paid well for the chance to 'play' around with the young girl.

Lalia, on the other hand, did not like the games they would play. They were always touching her, the mere sight of them made her feel dirty. For the next couple years, she was called many things; 'Pretty', 'Pet', and 'Baby' amongst them.

When her uncle's contacts weren't 'playing' with her, she was being beaten.

To them, she was less than human, and at times she felt like they were telling the truth.

She was fourteen when she ran, unable to take anymore of it.

And that was when she met Ezio Albero, the commander of the elite combat force COMSUBIN. The man had taken one look at the scrawny, scarred little girl and had seen potential, a girl who could become great.

He offered her training, a chance to start anew.

Lalia Mitchum died that day, and Lal Mirch took her place.

Ezio became something of a father, he guided her and taught her everything he knew. He groomed her for taking command of COMSUBIN when he retired.

Lal rose through the ranks with ease, showing those who thought her weaker than them that she was much more powerful than they were.

She wasn't a little girl anymore, in some ways she had never gotten the chance to be one.

When Lal was twenty-one, she met a young man with a darkness hiding behind his bright smile. He called himself Colonello, and Lal could never figure out why but he pissed her off.

And when Ezio announced that she would be training this flaky-looking blonde brat, Lal decided she would do it her way-

Brutally and unsparing.

She ran him over with a tank.

(He survived though, so in Lal's mind, he might actually be worth training.)

As the years past, she found herself growing (dare she say it) _fond_ of the flaky brat. He grew on her, much like a fungus would. She watched proudly as the brat she had trained wiped the floor with the competition and rose through the ranks almost as quickly as she did, and when Ezio retired, leaving CONSUBIN in her care, she made him her second.

It wasn't long afterwards when _It_ happened.

She had returned to her quarters one day to find a single letter laying innocently on her bed, inviting her to a meeting of her generations' strongest seven, and an offer for a job.

Always up for a challenge, Lal accepted.

And Colonello _-the stupid, reckless idiot-_ followed.

When she first met those who would become the Arcobaleno, her first thought was that of a bomb.

These people were a ticking time bomb fit to explode at any moment.

A hitman, an assassin, a _pregnant_ mafia donna, a scientist, an illusionist, a soldier, and a stuntman - it was like some sort of stupid joke.

Then the Fated day arrived, and as she stared at the blinking light she was sure she was about to die, her body was burning, her blood was boiling, and her brain felt like it was about to explode.

And suddenly she was sprawled on the ground, and familiar head of blonde hair was swallowed by light.

Everything stopped, leaving eight babies where adults had once stood.

Eventually, Lal managed to except the fact that she _had been turned into a fucking baby_ with relative calmness (read: she flipped her shit and blew up a couple buildings), but then she began coughing up blood as black slowly began to creep across the gray pacifier around her neck.

The only person who ever found out was Skull. The purple haired stuntman (not really a man any longer) had walked up to her one day, looked her dead in the eye, and told her in a blank voice that _she was dying_. After that announcement, Lal grew weaker with each passing day.

She was dying.

But then she was not.

Unexpectedly, she started getting better. She stopped coughing up blood, her strength came back, and everything went back to normal.

Or as normal as it could be in the body of a cursed baby.

* * *

_**Here you go! Lal's history (in my mind). I'd like to apologize if I triggered anyone. **_

_**Sorry about the wait for it, I've had a few things going on in my life that hasn't been giving me the chance to write as much as I'd like.**_

_**So... hope you enjoyed, and I've almost finished the next chapter of A Soldier's Memories. If there's anything you'd like to see done, leave it in the review section below (although there is that chance that I may never get around to it).**_

_**~Uzu**_


	19. Addition

**Title: **Addition

**Description: **When his husband stumbles through the front door after a long-term mission in China, a howling baby in his arms and an uncharacteristically harried expression on his face, Skull can only wonder what on earth he did in a past life to deserve this (he loves Fon, he really does, but the man has worse luck then Skull himself does at times).

**Word Count: **670

**Warnings: **Fon/Skull, Skull-is-Harry, mentions of child abandonment, slash, very short

* * *

When his husband stumbles through the front door after a long-term mission in China, a howling baby in his arms and an uncharacteristically harried expression on his face, Skull can only wonder what on earth he did in a past life to deserve this (he loves Fon, he really does, but the man has worse luck then Skull himself does at times).

Skull, who had looked after an infant once upon a time (he pushes back the pain that he feels every time he thinks of Teddy -sweet, innocent Teddy who had died much too early), gently scoops the wailing babe from Fon's arms. It was small, possibly only nearing on five months old, six at the latest, with a head of downy soft black curls, and tear-filled brown eyes. Skull's violet eyes soften when the baby's crying cuts off with a hiccup the moment it is in his arms, and Skull rocks the small babe gently.

"It's a boy, I believe." Fon offers quietly, looking thankful that the baby boy is now cooing, waving pudgy fists at Skull, seemingly enamored with the stuntman's purple locks. "Somebody left him on the doorstep of the hotel room I was staying in. There was a note that said his name is Fu."

"Fu." Skull muttered, looking down at the small baby, who chirped at the sound of his name. "Your name is Fu, is it baby?"

Fu giggled, and a smile lifted the corner of Skull's lips.

"I couldn't leave him," Fon continues, "And after what happened to the both of us, I could not just dump him into foster care. I would have called ahead... but... I didn't know what to say."

Skull moves Fu into a more comfortable position, allowing the baby to rest against his shoulder and nuzzle into the side of his neck sleepily. He huffs out a breath of laughter, "A 'somebody left me a baby', would've been fine." The purple haired man said humourously, and Fon smiled sheepishly.

"I figured you'd want to keep him... We've been talking about adoption lately, and-" Fon's nervous ramble was cut off by Skull pressing a finger against him lips in a 'shhs' motion and gesturing toward the baby sleeping in his arms.

"Fu, huh?" Skull muses, "You sure have been picked up by an odd family." He says to the baby, who's only answer is to yawn sleepily and snuggle closer. "We'll have to talk to Viper about getting the paperwork settled, he'll charge us through the roof for it. And we'll need to go about buying supplies soon."

Fon chuckled, wrapping strong arms around Skull's waist to hug him closer.

"And," Skull continues, eyes sparkling mischievously. "You'll have to be prepared to change dirty diapers in the middle of the night."

The only reply he gets comes in the form of Fon burying his nose in Skull's violet curls to mask his snort of amusement.

Skull ignores the small pang in his heart that reminds him that Fu was the same age Teddy had been when he was murdered, the same one that whispers about all Harry's failures. But Fu is not Teddy, Teddy died over thirty years ago, and Skull isn't Harry either, not anymore.

* * *

_**Tah-dah! New chapter!  
**_

_**A short drabble to celebrate the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal in the States (you didn't fuck up this time America! Congratulations! -sorry if this is offensive to anyone-). And I now present to you: Fu; Fon and Skull's fist adopted ninja baby!**_

_**Fu is a Chinese male name that means "wealthy and fortunate" (according to thenamemeaning .com). I thought it would be cute.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed~**_

_**Lots of love,**__**Uzu**_


	20. Being Fu

**Title:** Being Fu

**Summery:** Fu liked cute clothes, he liked to wear dresses and skirts, he liked the freedom of movement they gave him. There was nothing wrong with that.

**Word Count: **600

**Warning:** cross dressing, bullying, kids are shits, mean teachers, adopted ninja babies, domestic arcobaleno, Skull-is-Harry, Skull/Fon, Fu isn't trans but he likes to wear feminine clothing, very short

* * *

Fu had always liked playing dress up with Zoë and Zillah, he liked to try on his sisters' skirts and dresses and make cute outfits.

When he had asked his Papa for his own dresses, Papa hadn't even batted an eye before asking what colour he wanted. The then-four year old had been over the moon, and when he had bounced through the front door wearing a fluffy blue dress with a bow around the waist and a flower in his hair, his Bàba had smiled, holding baby Tori in his arms, and told him he looked lovely and that his dress matched his eyes.

Fu couldn't remember smiling that wide before.

Soon Fu found his first ever day of school rushing closer, but he wasn't nervous; he and Zoë would be starting together, and Zillah would be coming the next years. He had heard wonderful stories about school from Chikere-nii and cousin Maris, who were both a few years ahead of him, and Fu couldn't wait!

On the first day of school, Fu picked out his favourite dress, braided his shoulder-length hair, and skipped out the door.

However, his enthusiasm soon faded. Zoë, who was usually his shield, was not in his class, which meant he was left to flounder his way through social interaction, and he soon learned that not everyone was quite as excepting as his Papa and Bàba.

He had never expected his teacher to look at him when his name was called, and look so disgusted.

It was that day that Fu learned how cruel kids could be, because wherever he turned, his classmates would laugh and call him names. The teachers would tell him that he needed to wear boys clothes, that he couldn't wear dresses because they were for girls.

Fu had smiled and nodded, never agreeing but listening because Bàba had always told him to listen to other people's opinions, and Bàba was really smart.

_How silly,_ Fu had thought, _clothes didn't have genders._

_Not everyone is as open-minded as your Papa and Bàba, and your siblings and uncles and aunts,_ Papa had explained to him one day, after a mean lady had reduced him to tears when Fu had been browsing the store, _some people will look at you, and they won't like that you're different from what they want you to be. What you have to do is remember that you are who you want to be, and we will love you no matter what._

Fu liked cute clothes, he liked to wear dresses and skirts, he liked the freedom of movement they gave him. He liked the way they fit him, he liked the colours and different styles you could make. He loved wearing them with accessories, and wanted to make his own someday.

There was nothing wrong with that.

Just because he was different, it didn't mean he was wrong.

_(Besides, Fu had the most dangerous men and women in the world wrapped around his finger. These people didn't scare him)_

* * *

_**Hi everyone! I'm still alive, and I've brought to you a new chapter. I've been suffering through writers block for awhile now**_ _**and I've been drowning in the horror that is life, then just today during chemistry class I suddenly really wanted to write about the ninja bbys.**_

_**So here it is, a short shot solely about Fu, the very first ninja bby**_ _**himself**_ _**+more!**_

_**I also made a grumpy sniper child!**_

_**Chikere- oldest**_ _**adopted**_ _**son of Skull and Fon/dark skin, blackbrown**_ _**hair, and black eyes/tall and broad for his age/stoic and quiet, but also a very gentle child at heart/8 yrs old**_

_**Maris- daughter of Colonello and Lal/dark blue hair, bright blue eyes/7 yrs old/Grumpy, headstrong**_ _**and sharp tongued, is her mother's daughter**_

_**Fu- first adopted child of Skull and Fon/pale skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes/small and dainty-looking/prefers to wear feminine clothes/5 yrs old/friendly, but shy, he'd much rather read then talk to people, a bit of a loner and loves fashion**_

_**Zoë- adopted daughter of Skull and Fon/olive skin, black hair, brown eyes/rather snooty at times, likes to be the center**_ _**of attention and can be very blunt, but isn't a**_ _**mean**_ _**person/5 yrs old**_

_**Zillah- adopted daughter of Skull and Fon(was adopted at the same time as Chikere-they were orphans from a child slavery ring that Skull demolished, Chi was 5, she was only a baby)/blonde hair, lots of freckles, pale green eyes/3 yrs old/outgoing and bubbly, talks a lot**_

_**Tori- youngest adopted child of Skull and Fon/wild orange hair and light hazel eyes/13 months old/smol**_ _**sunshine child**_

_**There will probably be more as the story progresses, and I'll probably work on their personalities and back stories a bit, but I hope you enjoy the smol**_ _**ninja bbys.**_

_**As for their Flames, my current plan is:**_

_**Chikere**_ _**\- Mist**_

_**Maris - Inverted Rain**_

_**Fu - Inverted Cloud**_

_**Zoë - Lightning**_

_**Zillah - Sun**_

_**Tori - either Sun or Sky**_

_**Maris picks fights, Zoë makes sarcastic comments and eggs her on, Zillah laughs, Fu watches in amusement, Chikere**_ _**looms**_ _**at the back**_ _**to make sure no one gets hurt, and Tori is adorable - that is their life.**_

_***haz smol**_ _**ninja bbys***_

_**~Uzu**_


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